GunBugBit

Switched to the STI. I had to relieve the grip panel to allow the button to press down all the way. It's working well.

I think the intent of the locking of wrists instruction is to keep the wrists from flexing during recoil. So with the muscles in the hands and forearms firm, recoil shouldn't make the wrists break upward.

I need the activity and something to get good at. The day job is a slow death unless offset by something entirely different. I haven't spent much of my life at things that are based on individual performance and evaluated as objectively as competition shooting, except for getting grades in school, which included a certain amount of pressure. Other activities where I've performed as an individual have been judged subjectively, based on pleasing someone else according to their whims and tastes, or whether they felt I was kissing up enough. As someone who is hard-wired to not kiss up, I haven't done great in arenas that require it for advancement. The structure and objective measures of the shooting sports, where the only pressure is what I place on myself, represent a new kind of freedom for me. It helps of course that I am very fond of guns and shooting, both viscerally and intellectually.

I agree, August. The human male needs a lot of protein for optimal brain and body function, especially when active. If we take in more than we need, the body just eliminates the protein not used.

Squeezing the crap out of the gun, I understand. Locking the wrists, not so much.

I left a steel target standing in two stages in my first four practice matches. It hurts, especially when the score would have been decent without that completely avoidable mistake. I made notes to myself after the first incident and was really ticked at myself when I did it a second time.

I will strive to emulate CHA-LEE.

There are a couple of heavy guys who shoot great at my club's range. They can't run fast but they can shoot fast and accurately. Their scores are really good. Except on stages where a lot of movement is required, shooting fast is a higher priority than moving fast on the ground. But, the majority of the top shooters I've observed in person tend to be the streamlined types.

I'm a newbie, shoot .45 and intend to for quite a while. Open to switching to another caliber, though.

Brazos, huh. Hadn't considered them for front sights. Have been very happy with two hammer-sear sets of theirs.

Carry gun has been a G23 for a while now. No desire to compete with that gun. Using a TRP for competing, will stick with it until something makes me want to change, don't know what that will be.

If the counteracting force doesn't induce inaccurate shooting, sounds good. It applies to more experienced shooters than myself. I'm not trying to go fast yet and won't until my accuracy is more consistent.

A fig newton or two between stages maybe.

It occurs to me that shooting a stage is the only place where I can get an audience. The rest of life, no one pays any attention to what I do.

Absolutely. Support hand thumb drops the slide stop lever. Very fast. I like the ledge-style slide stops, very easy for the thumb to find and press. No video for you though, sorry.

Yes it can be a blur after working a full day then going to the club at night to shoot 5 stages. So far I've been able to write up notes at home within 24 hours of each match before I forget the stage setups and what I think I did right/wrong.

I think we're saying what works for each of us. I don't expect what works for me to work for everyone else. I confirmed this morning that things go better for-me accuracy-wise if I apply a steady firm grip and not muscle against the recoil. However this is only what my mind believes I am doing, maybe I'm lying to myself. I'd like to add that this approach works well with both the G20 with full-power 10mm and the 1911 in .45 ACP. For me. But now I'm focusing only on the 1911.

3rd match was a lot of fun. My score was much better than the first two times. Practicing the draws and mag changes to par times at home helped for sure. They went smooth all five stages tonight. My right eye has difficulty when the sun goes down. Need a prescription pair of shooting glasses to correct the astigmatism that remains after the LASIK I had 15 years ago. I see well when lighting is good but not in low light. The USPSA-sanctioned matches at the same range are during daylight hours but I still want to see as well as I can. Iain Harrison was there again tonight. He seems about neck and neck with Mike Trombley so I'll be interested to see tonight's scores. Both guys are extremely nice. goldeneagle, hope you can get into the USPSA match.

For a holster try the Blade-tech Revolution and for mag pouches try Safariland 771.

Thanks wbyrd01, going to my 3rd match tonight. The range atmosphere is very good -- they take safety very seriously as they should and most of the guys seem to be having a great time -- and lucky for me it is an easy 30-minute drive.

Thinking about it, grip pressure effectively locks the wrists, or makes them less prone to moving. Forearm muscles are involved in exerting grip pressure, and forearms are connected to the hands through the wrists. If I relax my hand, the wrist is also relaxed. If I exert grip pressure, the wrist becomes more rigid.

Started with single stack (1911) because the majority of my handgun shooting experience has been with that gun, I own a few, and I like the 1911 on several levels -- accuracy, ergonomics, history, availability of parts/ammo/accessories. It was still the main military sidearm when I was in the Army (1980s). Maybe someday I'll go over to open or some other division but I first want to build experience in single stack. I don't expect to go far due to a late-in-life start, but I'm not intentionally limiting myself either. However long I'm able, I'll keep shooting.

I probably should have been DQ'd for my finger wandering into the trigger guard during a mag change at my first match but they let me keep shooting. Now I'm practicing mag changes with very intentional finger placement.

I might have missed something along the way, but I don't even quite get the concept of locking the wrists. I can tense the muscles in my hands, or in my forearms, but can't consciously lock my wrists.

Same for me. It makes a very big positive difference.